Special Olympics competitors arriving in Los Angeles have been greeted by a logistics mess that forced many to sleep on a gymnasium floor.

Special Olympics spokesman Rich Perelman says 1,500 athletes and coaches spent the night at Loyola Marymount University after flights and buses arrived late on Tuesday.

The Red Cross provided blankets and water. The athletes from Norway, Mexico, Venezuela, Kenya and the Cayman Islands were on their way to their host cities Wednesday morning.

The university near Los Angeles International Airport is serving as a staging area where thousands of athletes are to be routed to host cities where they will be housed.

Competitors from more than 160 countries are coming to Los Angeles this week to take part in 25 sports at venues across the city. The opening ceremony takes place Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.